While staring at a blank wall has a bad reputation, staring at a green wall can be calming and invigorating. So, why not create a feel-good space in your patio, porch, or living room with a plant wall?
Not only will it add the right dose of greenery and jazz up your wall, but also give you a garden to cherish if you’re space-modest.
Whether you’re a gardening newbie or an ace gardener looking for ways to get started on a plant wall, we’ve got you covered.
From a minimalist and rustic to a macrame plant wall, you’ll discover awesome ideas you can take inspiration from. And if you consider yourself a DIYer, you’ll also learn how you can build your own plant wall.
What Is a Plant Wall?
As the name suggests, a plant wall is a vertical wall of plants. Imagine plants growing on structures that are either free-standing
or attached to a wall. There you have your plant wall.
Also called a living wall or green wall, it is a perfect way to get gardening even when you don’t have enough garden space.
Grow flowering plants, leafy flora, herbs, succulents, and even vegetables in your living wall—the options are endless.
Indoor Plant Wall
Indoor green walls are built to create an eye-catching decorative space in your home or office. A little greenery can help purify the air and reduce anxiety and stress.
Whether you’ve got a blank wall indoors that needs some cheering up or you’re a gardening buff limited because of your small rented house, you can always experiment with an indoor plant wall.
Outdoor Plant Wall
Outdoor plant walls are generally built to bring greenery to concrete landscapes. You must have seen them in the facades of offices, supermarkets, or malls. They also work as a cost-effective way to insulate buildings.
You can bring these living walls to your outdoors, too. Cover an unsightly wall in your garden or backyard with a statement-making plant wall. Or combine it with your fences and it can work as a privacy screen.
Plant Wall Benefits
Plant walls are a surefire way to turn dull spaces into something natural and beautiful. They are easy to build and even easier to care for. Plus, they’re a great alternative for gardeners who lack horizontal space.
But that’s not all. Living walls can promote mental wellbeing, purify the air, boost productivity, and more. Here are some benefits of introducing a plant wall to your space.
1. Creates a Strong Visual Statement
Most people build a green wall to make a breathtaking statement in their space. Lush green walls are attractive to look at, can increase the value of your property, and invite birds and butterflies to your garden.
They can also turn bare and unsightly walls into attractive features. And the best part? They work in small spaces, too!
2. Improves Air Quality
A green wall can be called the “lungs of your house”. That’s because a wall that is densely packed with plants can act as a natural air filter.
Plants will help absorb air toxins and release oxygen into the air. So build your own green wall to improve the air quality in your house or office.
3. Increases Mental and Physical Wellbeing
Studies suggest that green sights have uplifting and calming effects. Feeling stressed or anxious? Start taking care of the tiny plants in your living wall.
Indoor plants mean cleaner air. This further means fewer health issues like irritated eyes, headaches, and tiredness.
4. Reduces Ambient Temperature and Noise
Living walls can help save energy. Plants absorb sunlight and can create a cooler climate during summers. In winters, they help insulate the building, reducing energy costs.
A living wall also acts as a sound barrier. Plants can effectively block high-frequency sounds, making your space calmer and more peaceful.
5. Boosts Productivity
Many office spaces have started featuring green walls as a means to increase employee productivity. Exposure to greenery can enhance learning and improve decision-making skills.
Top Plant Wall Ideas
To create a green focal point, you no longer have to be limited to the outdoor garden space you have available. You can transform your plain walls into thriving gardens.
Use anything and everything from old furniture and straw baskets to metal scones and wooden pallets.
Take a look at these awe-inspiring plant wall ideas and hang a frame of living, thriving art on your wall. Ready, set, go!
1. Living Wall
Give your wall that undeniable wow factor by planting a range of thin to broad-leafed plants in close proximity. Play with shades, shapes, and sizes to create depth and texture.
Take inspiration from the image below and replace traditional artworks in your living room with green art.
Tip: For a living wall this size, ensure that your wall and fasteners are strong enough to hold it.
2. Garden Plant Wall
How about a wall with a lush, jungle feel? You’ll need to layer with ferns, vines, and leafy plants. It will not only give your space a natural look but also invite you outdoors more often.
Perfect for the edge of your garden or courtyard, this living wall is sure to display nature in its wild and untamed form. Plus, it can give you the much-needed privacy from that naggy neighbor.
Tip: While selecting the plants for your living wall, pick those that require the same microclimate conditions to thrive.
3. Living Room Plant Wall
Go for a statement-making living wall featuring octagonal wooden frames. It looks modern, is easy-to-maintain, and will add freshness to your living room, quite literally.
The empty wall above your couch is perfect for this arrangement. Fix your wooden frames to the wall and fill them with trailing and ornamental plants.
Water them once a while, show them sunlight and love, occasionally prune them, and you’re good to go.
4. Kitchen Plant Wall
No space for a tiny kitchen garden outdoors? No worries. Bring your kitchen garden indoors! Hang ceramic pots on a kitchen wall and plant exotic herbs you can otherwise buy from the supermarket.
Think easy-to-grow varieties like dill, sage, basil, thyme, and rosemary. Your herb wall will not only make a strong visual statement but also make your indoors smell great.
5. Plant Wall with Hanger
On the hunt for something minimalistic yet eye-catching? A hanging planter may just be your answer. Screw a wooden hook to your wall and hang a ceramic pot from it using a leather or plastic chord.
Grow a leafy plant in it and your plain ceramic pot will be transformed into a stunning piece of wall art. It won’t take up too much wall so you don’t have to worry if you are space-modest.
6. Plant Wall with Shelves
Shelves aren’t just for books and showpieces. You can use them to create a dramatic plant wall.
Mix and match terracotta, marble, and ceramic pots of different shapes and sized and arrange them carefully on your wooden shelves.
Now start planting succulents, perennials, climbers, and other leafy varieties for texture.
Idea: Decorate the shelves with fairy lights and your plants will “shine bright like a diamond” even at night.
7. Plant Wall with Pots
A green wall featuring a range of ornamental plants is definitely worth your time and effort. You can start by hanging a metal mount on a bare wall and slipping planters into its round holders.
Go for black pots of different sizes. Next, plant an assortment of split-leaf philodendron, elephant’s ear, dumb cane, and umbrella plant to give your arrangement a distinctly tropical theme.
8. Vertical Plant Wall
Weave together a palette of leafy plants to create interesting texture and pattern, as seen in the image below. Such an arrangement requires a good amount of space and is perfect for an empty home or office wall.
Shy away from flowers and plant greens of varied shapes and shades. Once mature, your plants are sure to create a fascinating tableau to draw eyes.
Idea: Go for a thick frame to achieve that “wall art” look.
9. Plant Wall DIY Style
In the mood to create something from scratch? How about a DIY plant wall creating a trellis-like effect? Ideal for muted backdrops, your DIY project will create a lovely screen of green above your patio or lounging area.
You will need some wooden rods, nails to fix them together, a planter, leather strings, pothos, ivy, or other trailing plants, and voila!
Be patient with your plant–it will take a while to climb from one corner to the other. But the end result is definitely worth the wait.
10. Wooden Plant Wall
Your plant wall does not have to be a grand affair. Maintain simplicity with a wooden green wall in one corner of your house. Screw four to five wooden planks on your wall and attach neat racks to them.
Keep potted plants on the racks at regular intervals for some subtle and pleasing greenery. You can also decorate the racks with hardbound books, old photo-frames, candles, and more.
11. Succulent Plant Wall
A succulent wall featuring concentric circles, like in the image below, is all you need to create a striking focal point in your living room.
Plant a profusion of succulents—from hens and chicks and jade to burro’s tail and houseleek.
You may also want to grow a bit of moss here and there to add to its appeal. The display is a true work of art and would require a good amount of sunlight to remain so.
Tip: Wait for 4 to 10 weeks before you hang your creation on the wall. This will give your succulents enough time to take firm roots.
12. Air Plant Wall
A green wall made entirely of air plants is perfect for those with a black thumb. It is low-maintenance, hardy, and can make your space look like it has come straight out of a whimsy woodland.
Air plants don’t need soil to grow, so you can simply place them in a net of steel cable and see them mature. Frame your arrangement or group multiple frames together for a more striking effect.
13. Macrame Wall Plant Hanger
A macrame hanger for your plants is the perfect mix of classic and boho. You can get such a hanger off an online store, or you can embrace your creative side and try making one at home.
Suspend earthen pots from the hanger at different lengths. Such a plant wall will add warmth and texture to your space. Plus, the right dose of greenery will enhance the pretty factor.
14. Green Plant Wall
A green plant wall in your bathroom? Why not? It can transform any bathroom. Along with its organic appeal, such a wall will also work as an air purifier.
Your plush wall will require occasional watering, pruning, and seasonal upkeep. On the plus side, it will put a smile on your face each time you see it.
15. Plant Wall with Climbers
Create a green tapestry in your garden with eye-catching trailers and climbers. But don’t go basic. Use a trellis to “embroider” a zig-zag pattern on your wall.
Once the climbers cover the entire trellis, they will beautifully adorn your garden. What’s more, garden trellises come in all shapes and sizes, and materials, so you have plenty of options to choose from.
Idea: Grow colorful creeping roses, bougainvilleas, and morning glories if you want to break free from the conventional green vines.
16. Plant Pockets Wall
This space-efficient green wall features flowering plants, leafy vegetables, and herbs peeking out of tiny pockets.
But how does it work? Well, the felt pockets contain nutrients for your plants to absorb and grow.
Border it with old wooden frames and screw it to your kitchen wall. You’ll love having fresh ingredients readily available for recipes!
17. Plant Wall Basket
Repurpose old or discarded straw baskets to create containers for your plants. Perfect for small spaces, straw basket planters can also give a charming country vibe.
Place your arrangement next to an entryway, mount it on a garden wall, or dress up a boring space indoors—the design is quite versatile.
Idea: Grow an array of flowering plants in shades of pink, purple, red, and yellow for a splash of color.
18. Plant Wall Art
Pull out your art supplies and unleash your creative side to make an artsy plant wall. The empty wall above your sofa set is perfect for this project.
Go for a tropical feel, a desert landscape, or mountainous vegetation. Or take inspiration from the image below and paint a bunch of banana leaves on your blank canvas.
Tip: You can also put a spotlight on your artwork by installing a lamp on the wall.
19. Plant Wall Box
How about a living wall that is both strikingly modern and Earth-friendly? Well, you can use scraps of wood from old projects to make boxes for your wall.
But that’s not all. Old pill containers and glass bottles can be transformed into eye-catching planters. Grow ferns, succulents, and climbing flowers in these planters and place them on your handmade boxes.
Idea: Staggering the height of the wooden boxes will create a strong visual impact.
20. Plant Wall Sconces
For something completely offbeat, vines and trailing plants in metal scones definitely fit the bill. You can achieve a gorgeous green space even on a narrow strip of wall.
Hang a couple of vintage scones on a neutral-colored wall, as in the image below. Fill the scones with trailing jade, string of nickels, maidenhair fern, golden pothos, and other interesting overflowing plants. Your design is ready!
21. Plant Wall Stand
Bring a bit of whimsy to your garden with a small wall decorative stand. Paint it in any color you want, screw it to a brick wall, and keep potted plants on it.
It’s a great way to give life to old stands. Plus, you can use the stand to highlight the bare wall of a small balcony or patio.
22. Interior Plant Wall
Grow plants in test tubes for something truly unique and eye-catching. Take inspiration from the image below and attach wooden test tube holders to your wall. Next, grow plants of your choice in the test tubes.
Along with jazzing up a boring space, your test tube wall can be used to propagate all sorts of plants.
Tip: Climbers like pothos or philodendron are great to start with as they are low-maintenance and easy to care for.
23. Wall Plant Rack
How about a living wall contained in a wooden rack? Build or buy a rack and attach old jars and other containers to it.
Plant leafy greens, flowers, vegetables, and herbs in the containers. You can also brighten up your arrangement with fairy lights and LEDs— it’s just a matter of your imagination.
Idea: A plant rack is portable, so you can move it about. Put it in your lounge or move it to the garden area.
24. Plant Wall Divider
Let a dreamy forest come to life with lush green dividers. Ideal for cafeterias, restaurants, and eating joints, these living wall dividers can add a breath of freshness to your space while also working as privacy screens.
Grow a profusion of leafy plants and add seasonal blooms to them for a nice pop of color. These dividers are sure to grab eyeballs.
25. Ivy Plant Wall
Allow ivy to creep on a bare wall to dress it up real fancy. The plant is well-behaved, hardy, and generally low-maintenance. But it is also a vigorous climber, so keep your pruners handy.
Ivy-covered walls have a nice “classic novel” vibe. Grow it in a mellow room, like in the image below, or use it to hide an unsightly wall outdoors.
Good to know: There are over a dozen species of ivy—from the popular English ivy to the mountainous Nepalese ivy. So you’ll have plenty of options to choose from!
26. Money Plant Wall
Add a punch of wow to your wall with a green waterfall. You may want to plant pothos, or money plant, for its lush green foliage and its easy-to-care-for nature.
Hang plain porcelain or plastic pots using metal holders. Opt for a wall painted in neutral colors as your canvas. It will make the green of your plants really shine.
27. Plant Frame Wall
Paintings and photographs aren’t the only things that deserved to be framed and put up on a wall. Display colorful plants in muted-colored frames. This would create a strong visual appeal.
Plant an array of tiny and hardy succulents in the frames. They will not only provide an interesting touch of contrasting color but will also give the appearance of 3D photographs.
28. Live Plant Wall Art
Create a wall mosaic with an artsy interplay of succulents, air plants, moss, and other colorful foliage. It will magnify the wow factor and make people pause a while before you wall.
The project will require a frame that you can either buy or build yourself. Next, fill it with soil and start growing plants in close groupings.
Think of it as art and make the design that would express you the best. Plant the gaps with moss and your mosaic is ready!
29. Plant Wall Painting
For a botanically-inspired wall that wouldn’t need watering, consider a wall with a glorious riot of “framed” greenery. Ideal for a living room or library, you’ll find nearly endless options to experiment with.
Frame flowers, woodlands, tropical leaves, and more for your wall. Go for frames of different sizes and try out different arrangements when you’re bored.
30. Plant Wall Bedroom
Want to bring plants to your bedroom wall but not sure how to go about it? For starters, you can attach a wooden board to your bedroom wall and hang ceramic planters on it.
Once you’re happy with the design, plant fresh and vibrant houseplants like Chinese evergreen, asparagus fern, string of pearls, and creeping fig in your planters. They’ll add a dramatic focal point in your bedroom.
Tip: Make sure your pots have an attached saucer so they won’t leak onto your floor or bed.
31. Pothos Plant Wall
A pothos plant wall is a great way to incorporate some greenery into your space. But why pothos?
Well, the plant has beautiful heart-shaped green leaves that are shaded with some white. Plus, it is hardy and can grow excellently in any space.
You can use it to decorate an indoor wall, a garden divider, or the entire facade of your home.
Tip: Use tiny nails or clips to rest the trailing stems of your pothos on.
32. Pallet Plant Wall
Old and humble wooden pallets are perfect to repurpose as a hanging green wall. A pallet plant wall is easy to put together.
You’ll need to fill it with soil, grow plants of your choice, and finally attach a metal chain to it so you can securely mount it on your wall.
While your pallet planter can showcase pretty summer blooms, it can also hold vegetables and herbs you can use in your kitchen.
Idea: Paint your pallet planter in bright hues to create a colorful focal point.
33. Metal Plant Wall Hangers
Greenify your wall with a vintage-looking plant hanger. Grow pothos, English ivy, or some other trailing variety for a nice waterfall effect.
Hanging planters are an easy way to get started with plant walls at home. You don’t have to go big with them, plus they are also quite space-efficient.
They can be customized in terms of their design and size and the type of plants you choose to grow in them.
34. Bamboo Plant Wall
They don’t say good fences make good neighbors for nothing. So how about you create an interesting green fence using bamboo?
The stalks of bamboo will create a wonderful green wall to cover an unattractive space or create a privacy screen.
You can also use bamboo stalks to make a dramatic entryway. They will not only look exotic but also prove to be extremely durable.
35. Office Plant Wall
Many offices and workspaces have started featuring green walls in their space to help improve the air quality, insulate the building, and enhance productivity. A bit of greenery in your workspace is sure to brighten your mood.
So why not bring one such green wall to your own office? You can go as big as you want to and also build one with your colleagues as part of a team-building project.
Idea: You may want to install an irrigation system to make sure your plants are watered on time from top to bottom. Or maybe take turns to water your green wall?
36. Plant Wall System
No list of green wall ideas is complete without including a self-sustaining plant wall system. Take inspiration from nature to create one featuring an interesting blend of plants, like in the image below.
Whether you’re looking to add greenery to your apartment, office reception, or a commercial project, an aquaponic plant wall system can uplift any space in a jiffy.
Tip: You can also add a pop of color with some red and yellow flowers for added effect.
37. Plastic Plant Wall
Enjoy a nice green wall gracing your living room without worrying about its upkeep. Just how? Simple, with a plastic plant wall! They’re low-cost, low-maintenance, and attractive to look at.
What’s especially appealing about them is that they appear as natural as living walls. So if you’re not an expert green thumb but are also faced with the dilemma of a bland wall that could use some greenery, go for it!
38. Air Plant Wall Display
Interested in a more modern-looking living wall? Display air plants in an offbeat fashion like in the image below. You’ll essentially need some wooden boards, nails, rope, and the tillandsias you want to display.
Hammer the nails on the wall or surface of your choice and suspend the boards using the rope. This arrangement is perfect for tight spaces and will enliven boring corners.
39. Plant Wall Mural
Design a tropical garden in your living room with paints. Make the living room wall your canvas, draw a sketch of the mural, and start painting! Alternatively, you can experiment with wall stickers.
A wall mural offers an edgy, cool look. Plus, you can enjoy some greenery indoors without slaving in the dirt or worrying about your plants’ upkeep.
Idea: For added effect, grab a couple of easy-to-grow houseplants and blend them with your wall mural.
40. Rustic Plant Wall
Create the rustic plant wall look using a couple of geometric wooden planks and hang them from the ceiling. This design is ideal for tight spaces and boring backgrounds in need of a facelift.
Once you have your planters ready, bring the essence of nature indoors with air plants. They require minimal care and will bring the much-needed pop of green.
41. Minimalist Plant Wall
Add some minimalist flair to your plant wall with a set of copper pipes. These make excellent planters for air plants, as they do not need soil to grow.
Go for varied styles—hang them using a string, nail them to the wall, or place them atop a shelf. While this arrangement looks quite modern, it is also ideal to bring cheer to an empty space.
How To Make A Plant Wall: The Simple Way
Do you want to “green up” your space without breaking the bank on those expensive, professionally curated plant walls? Create your own green masterpiece with a fun DIY plant wall.
Follow this easy step-by-step guide to get started on your own plant wall project on a budget.
Step 1 – Choose Your Style and Space
Take inspiration from the many wonderful ideas we’ve compiled for you. Once you’ve selected a style, think of where you’d like to build it—indoors or outdoors, on a solid wall or a garden fence.
Tip: Make sure you choose a space that receives sufficient sunlight for your living plant wall to thrive.
Step 2 – Decide Your Display Option
Next, see how you want to mount your plant wall. On hanging pots, baskets, wooden shelves, hydroponic panels, or trellis, which is the most popular option.
You can easily buy a pre-made wooden, metal, or plastic trellis online. And if you consider yourself a DIYer, you can also build it yourself. Now, screw or place the planters on the display option of your choice.
Tip: To prevent damp issues, remember to first coat the wall with a waterproof membrane.
Step 3 – Choose Your Plants
Here comes the fun part! Select the plants you want to showcase on your living wall. Go for low-maintenance and attractive succulents, mosses, air plants, and lichens. Next, carefully insert them in the planters.
Keep in mind the color palette that would brighten or highlight your space, whether indoors or outdoors. Consider also the climate and the water and light requirements of the plants you choose.
Idea: Don’t limit yourself to ornamental plants. Think vegetables and herbs you can readily use to up your culinary game.
Step 4 – Maintain Your Living Wall
Once your living wall is set up, it will require timely watering, pruning, and cleaning. Plants attract insects, so you may want to take them out once a month or so and spray a mild insecticide.
You can also add grow lights if your plants aren’t receiving enough natural sunlight. Use a hand mister to water your plants.
Plant Wall Frequently Asked Questions Answered
Whether you’re looking for ways to enliven a blank wall or are planning to incorporate some greenery in your space, a living wall is your solution. But before you get started on one, go through the answers to some of the questions we receive frequently.
How do you make a plant wall?
A plant wall is easy to make. You’ll need some basic tools and equipment like nails, a screwdriver, containers, soil, plants, etc. to begin with. Check out our easy DIY plant wall guide to see how you can make your own green wall.
What is a plant wall called?
A plant wall is also called a green wall or living wall (if you go with real plants). These walls generally rely on hydroponic systems and are irrigated by a drip-irrigation method. But you can also grow them in soil and manually water them now and then.
What are the plants that grow on walls?
Ideally, you would want to grow plants that are not picky and have a wide range of tolerances. You can start with hardy perennials, ornamental grasses, and seasonal flowers.
Scented plants are recommended since they will make your space fragrant.
Note that the plants you can grow in indoor walls are very different from the ones you can grow outdoors.
Why do plants need a wall?
When you’re growing plants vertically, they need a strong support which a wall can provide. Moreover, mounting your plant containers on a wall is a good way to utilize vertical spaces. Learn more about the benefits of a plant wall.
Where There’s a Wall There’s a Way
You’ve seen them adorning office walls, hotel lobbies, supermarket facades, and occasionally even highway pillars and footbridges. Yes, plant walls are very trendy, versatile, and attractive to look at.
But the best part is that you can also bring them to your homes and offices. Do you have a bland, unsightly wall?
Or maybe you want to add a splash of greenery in your space? Or perhaps you want to freshen up the indoor air? A plant wall is the right answer.
You don’t even have to worry about the limited horizontal space you have. Whether you lack an outdoor garden or live in a small urban space, you can still live up to your gardening dreams. Because where there is a “wall”, there’s a way.
So, are you all set to have your walls blooming and growing? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you have some more questions, fire right away!
I absolutely love idea #26. Where can I find those diamond shaped scone planters?
Hey! They are so cool, aren’t they?! You can get similar ones from Amazon I think š
This is so great, thank you for sharing! Iām struggling to figure out how to water plants that are on the wall without spoiling the wall – any tips on that?
Hey, thanks for the comment! If the plants are in pots, try placing something underneath to catch the water. Also, water often and little so the wall is not exposed to too much water!